Once Bitten
by Amaranta Vargas
Summary: How would history vary if Sirius Black had been the one bitten when he was but a child by Fenrir Greyback instead of Remus? Rated M for later chapters, future Remus/Sirius shipping.
1. Bark at the Moon

_"Be grateful - now you have a talent to use in service to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."_

The words had stung when he'd first heard them, adding to the grief he was already suffering. But they were true. All he'd been before now was a rebellious child, wayward and straying already from the path set before him by his family...now he had a curse, bestowed upon him by one of the faitful followers of the Dark Lord that his parents worshipped so passionately. It was a curse that his family sneered at, a curse that brought out their true natures - he was able to see them for what they were now, and determined himself to never be like them.

He was only eight years old, and his life would never be the same. Sirius Black had been bitten by Fenrir Greyback, while he'd been in his wolf form. It had been an anger that Greyback had been determined to use against another family, against another little boy - Sirius had gotten in the way and now would pay the price for it. Sirius doubted that the other little boy would even remember what had happened - with so much blood and fear in the air, the boy may choose to forget.

But Sirius would remember.

It had been another summer spent in the northern country, where his parents had become fond of the quaintness of one of the wizarding villages in the north, and had purchased a rather large summer home there when Sirius was a baby. Within this village, there were mainly purebloods...but living in the middle was a family who minded a bookstore, and whose home was but a short walk to the edge of the village. Sirius' parents were having a dinner party on that particular night, and Sirius, as always, was easily bored. He decided to slip out and go for a walk in the village. His parents had told him that there was nothing to fear in this village, that it was a safe place to live...of course, that was only on most days, not nights, and especially not nights when there was a full moon.

Sirius could hear the werewolf before he actually saw it, and he tried to run away...but little legs were not made to outrun the vicious beasts that lurked in the dark. Before Sirius could reach one of the homes on the edge of the village, the beast was upon him in an instant, sharp teeth not even hesitating before ripping into the boy's tender flesh, rending meat from bone and severing veins and arteries. All Sirius could remember before blacking out was the fact that he could not even feel the pain he knew that he must be suffering right now.

When Sirius awoke, it was daylight once more, and he was in an unfamiliar place, with a woman he didn't know hovering over him. He slid his eyes shut again.  
"He's awake…" The voice sounded distant, muffled. "The poor boy…if he hadn't been there, John…"  
"Don't fret about it, Dianne…" A man's voice entered Sirius' consciousness. "We were able to get Remus indoors before the werewolf got him too."  
"Get away from him!" It was a voice Sirius recognized instantly – his mother, Walburga Black. "That's my son! Keep your blood traitor hands off of him, Lupin!"  
Sirius had the vague sensation of being scooped up, the pain from his wounds little more than a nuisance in his mind.  
"Sirius…" It was the first time that Sirius had ever heard Walburga express something akin to an emotion – and the last. "He'll be so proud of you, my little one…"  
Sirius opened his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of the ones who'd saved him as his mother carried him away. They seemed like a nice family, Sirius decided as he slipped into unconsciousness again.

When Sirius woke again, he was aware of the people who were around him…and the one who'd been so quick to attack him last night was there as well…Sirius opened his eyes, and warily glanced about, confirming his fears. Greyback stood among those in this room – Sirius noted that his mother had set him down on the couch, and the bandages that he'd had since the Lupins had been changed for clean ones, with a gentle hand that Sirius knew his mother did not possess. Sirius did not want to know who'd been the one to do it. The occupants of the room remained unaware that Sirius was awake again, and continued chatting pleasantly. Sirius counted his mother, father, cousin Bella's mum and dad, and a few of his parents' friends that he didn't recognize. When he moved, Greyback was the first to notice.  
"It seems the little one is awake." Greyback smirked.  
"Sirius…how are you feeling?" It was cousin Bella's mum, Leona, who inquired after his well-being, not his own parents.  
"…better." Sirius did note that the pain he'd felt earlier had subsided, and he could move without feeling a great deal of it. "…'m hungry." He mumbled, shrinking under the stern gaze of his family and the predatory gaze of Greyback.  
"There's some food left over from last night. I will have Kreacher warm it up for you." Walburga summoned the house elf, immediately demanding that he warm up food for Sirius, to be taken to his room. "Since you're doing better, Sirius, why don't you go up to your room? Kreacher will bring you your food shortly."  
Sirius nodded, and got up. He made his way upstairs slowly, and headed into his room, where he collapsed onto his bed. Shortly after, Kreacher brought Sirius the food he'd desired, and Sirius ate as if he'd not eaten in eons.


	2. Of Wolf and Man

When Sirius finished eating, Kreacher took the dirty dishes away (with a sneer on his face to let Sirius know how much he disliked being told to serve the boy), and Sirius fell asleep, still tired from several things. His injuries ached, and sleep made the pain go away. Sirius slept fairly soundly, and he didn't even stir when Leona and Walburga came by to check on him on their way to the drawing room (the men usually congregated in the lounge, the ladies in the drawing room, and if the Dark Lord graced them with his presence, then they would all join up in the parlor or at the large table in the dining room). Both Leona and Walburga knew that Sirius was cursed now – the werewolf's bite had been displayed prominently, in the middle of Sirius' back, from where the werewolf had picked the boy up and thrown him as easily as if he were a doll and not a human being.

When Sirius awoke, he could hear the faint murmur of people in the house, and sat up slowly. Sharp pain coursed through his form, and he knew that whatever had kept the pain from him before was gone now. A change of clothes sat on his dresser, along with a note in his mother's neat script: _"Get changed and join us in the parlor. The Dark Lord wishes to speak with you."_A lump formed in Sirius' throat, making it harder for him to swallow. He took the clothes from the dresser, and began to dress, trying this best to ignore the burning pain arcing through his back where the bite was. His other injuries were beginning to heal, but the bite was the worst, and Sirius knew that he would become like the beast that had bitten him.

When he was dressed, he made his way down the stairs and into the parlor, where several pairs of curious eyes turned to look at him.  
"My lord," Walburga addressed the man Sirius did not recognize, "allow me to present my son to you. Lord Voldemort, Sirius Black. Sirius Orion Black, this is Lord Voldemort." A small, wicked smile crossed her face, and she watched Sirius for his reaction.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord." Sirius spoke softly, echoing words long since drilled into his little head.  
"It is my understanding that one of my servants gave you a gift." Voldemort's voice was quiet, but powerful, and brought goosebumps to Sirius' skin.  
"Yes, sir." Sirius replied, nodding.  
"And what do you think of this…gift?" Voldemort's gaze was soft as he looked upon the mere child, and his tone gentler, perhaps, than what he would have used with his other servants.  
"I'll be like him, sir, won't I?" Sirius allowed a small bit of fear to creep into his voice.  
"A mindless beast?" Voldemort chuckled, a dark sound that permeated the still air. "Perhaps. Perhaps you…will be something more."  
Walburga saw Sirius open his mouth again, and cut him off with a hiss.

"Be grateful - now you have a talent to use in service to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." She told Sirius quietly. "And in service to our Dark Lord."  
Voldemort dismissed Walburga's words with a flick of his hand.  
"Now, now, Walburga…give the boy room to breathe." Voldemort was most interested in acquiring this new werewolf to serve him, and did not want Walburga's words to bring that flicker of rebellion that Voldemort could see in Sirius' eyes to life. "When you are older, Sirius, I will present you with a glorious opportunity…to serve me with your gift. What would you think of that?"  
"If the only way to use it is in service to you…" Sirius chose his next words very carefully. "Then I will accept, my lord."  
Walburga seemed proud of Sirius' decision, and stroked his hair gently, patting his shoulder. Sirius could not recall her doing that before, and it seemed that he had done the right thing. Sirius, even at the tender age of eight, held no illusions about the Dark Lord. If Sirius had refused to serve him, then surely his life would have been cut short. Sirius sat on the couch nearby and listened to their chatter about the future of the Wizarding world, and the dreams Voldemort had of pureblood dominance. To Sirius, it sounded like a pretty poor future. He excused himself after a few hours of this, and headed out, into the village. It was still daylight, so Sirius felt he would be safe, and he ignored the pain in his back as he went to find the bookstore. He had been in there the other day, and there had been a book he'd been interested in reading. Sirius wondered if they still had the book there, or if it had been sold already. As he entered the bookstore, Sirius was immediately greeted by the woman he'd seen when he'd woken up earlier.  
"You're looking better than you were." She smiled brightly at him. "I'm Mrs. Lupin. My husband and I run this bookstore."  
"Sirius Black." Sirius introduced himself, lacking any sort of childhood shyness. His family had been raised to think that they were better than everyone else, why would they be shy? This sort of arrogance was a familial trait, one that Sirius was guilty of possessing. Sirius was taken from his thoughts by the sight of a little boy, about his own age, hiding behind Mrs. Lupin.  
"Remus, say hello to Sirius. He was the one who…alerted…us to the werewolf's presence and allowed for us to keep you safe." Mrs. Lupin prompted her shy son to step forward and greet the other little boy. Remus fidgeted for a moment, and then stepped forward, offering Sirius a shy smile.  
"Thanks." Remus mumbled, looking at the ground and rocking back on his heels. "Does it…hurt? The…bite…" Remus' voice descended into an even quieter tone, and Sirius was glad he had good hearing.  
"Not as much as it did afore!" Sirius declared, grinning and putting on a brave face. He saw Remus relax a bit, and look back up at him.  
"Good…" Remus was still mumbling, but his voice was getting a little louder. "Didya…wanna go play…?"  
Sirius' eyes lit up.  
"Yes!" He had never had many opportunities to play with other little boys his own age, and would take advantage of this opportunity. "I can be the monster, and you can run away from me! Like tag!"  
Remus grinned, slowly, and tapped Sirius lightly before running off, into the depths of the bookstore. Sirius soon followed suit, in a cheerful mood despite everything that had happened to him. Of course, it helped that Sirius really had yet to grasp the severity of his situation.


	3. Lil Red Riding Hood

When Walburga Black realized that her son had left and gone back into the village, dusk was quickly approaching. She had a feeling of where Sirius had gone, having heard him mention something about a book on his way out of the door earlier. She informed Orion that Sirius had gone into the village, and he set off after his son, furious that Sirius would disregard his own safety so carelessly. When he came upon the bookstore, he immediately went inside and started looking for Sirius amongst the shelves of books. His pacing garnered the attention of the bookstore owner, Mr. Lupin, and he approached Orion calmly.  
"If you're looking for Sirius, he's in the kitchen with my wife and our son, partaking of some cookies she made earlier." John Lupin ignored the cold stare Orion gave him. "Give me a moment, and I will collect him for you. He's very well-behaved…and he helped to save our son from a similar fate. There was a book he wanted…I gave it to him as a gift." John went to the kitchen in the back of the store, and Orion could hear the children protesting at being separated, though John did return a few moments later with Sirius, and Sirius was clutching a book tightly to his chest.

Sirius glanced up at his father as they walked back to the Black summer home, and knew his father was irritated with him.  
"Do you **ever** stop for a moment and think that this kind of mule headedness is what caused you to be bitten in the first place?" Orion bit out, doing his best not to raise his voice and cause a scene in the middle of the village. "You almost died, and here you are, gallivanting around like nothing ever happened!"  
"I wanted to go to the bookstore." Sirius mumbled.  
"You left while we were entertaining our guest, which is very rude! You should be grateful for everything he did for you, offering a spot in his Death Eaters…when the rest of the world will grow to treat you as little more than a beast!" Orion snapped. "And then you just run off to go play with some halfblooded brat…" Orion's anger turned into furious mumblings that Sirius couldn't understand.

What Sirius did understand, however, was being locked in his room. Regulus teased him on the way up the stairs, repeating something he'd heard one of Mummy's friends saying, about caging the beast. Orion really was furious when Sirius popped his younger brother in the nose, and made Regulus start bawling. As he was locked in his room, Sirius had a lot of time to think. And the more he thought about his situation, the more he realized that his family didn't seem to care how it would affect him, beyond the narrow scope of those who followed the Dark Lord. Werewolves had a bad reputation in most of the wizarding world, and Sirius knew that he would never be accepted by anyone but those who served Voldemort most likely. The thought made him sick. Would he be able to go to Hogwarts, as his parents had, or would he be denied that? Would they find some way to strip him of his magic, and make him little more than a beast of burden? It was too much for an eight-year-old to handle. Sirius sat on his bed with his knees drawn up to his chest, and cried.

When Sirius next had contact from anyone outside of his family, it had been a few weeks since he'd been bitten, and his mother had warned him of the full moon that was quickly approaching. Sirius knew, however, that a warning was unnecessary. Sirius could feel the moon in his blood, feel the infection that would cause him to change resting as if it were just below his skin. Sirius got jittery and rather jumpy, the closer that it got to the full moon. He took to staying outside more, it seemed to calm him, and he often took walks in the garden that grew in the backyard. When the moon was upon them, however, Sirius wondered how his family was intending to keep the beast he would become at bay. His answer came soon, in the form of silver chains and cuffs, and a spot in the basement that was covered in imperturbable charms, so no one had to hear the beast's howling and gnashing.

As soon as dusk arrived on the first night of Sirius' new existence, he was ushered into the basement and locked up in that room, with the silver cuffs binding his wrists and ankles to the walls. Walburga had told Sirius that a werewolf's greatest weakness is silver, and that it would keep him from hurting himself or anyone else. It had sounded like a nice sentiment at the time, but as Sirius hung against the damp wall, naked and cold, it seemed like overkill. The silver was already burning into his wrists, and causing him pain. When the moonlight fell upon him, however, he knew no more, and was gripped tightly in the mind of the beast within.

The next morning found Sirius still chained to the wall, his small form limp. His wrists were raw and bloody from the silver, and from the beast fighting to be free and get to the humans he could smell above. It was not Walburga who came to retrieve Sirius from his spot, but Orion, who merely let Sirius free of his bonds and threw some clothes and bandages at his feet.  
"Make yourself presentable." Orion snapped. "Breakfast will be ready soon." He left, leaving Sirius to bandage himself and get dressed.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, as always, and Sirius did his best to keep out of the way. He didn't want any attention being drawn to himself, even though the only people present were his brother and his parents. Sirius' wrists and burned with pain, even though the silver was no longer in contact with them. He tried to ignore it and eat, but the pain was overwhelming. After a few bites, he excused himself to go upstairs and rest. He fell onto his bed after stripping down to his shirt alone, and whimpered into his pillow. Sleep eventually came to him, but it was not very restful.


	4. Skinwalker

As the years passed, the changes seemed to become easier…or at least, Sirius came to accept the fact that they were inevitable. And being chained, in the basement, was inevitable as well. When Sirius turned eleven years old, a letter found its way into his possession. It was a letter that his parents recognized, for the look of pride on their faces was unmistakable. Sirius opened it, and was pleased to see that is was a Hogwarts acceptance letter. As Sirius skimmed through the letter, a phrase popped out at him: _"…due to your special circumstances, arrangements have been made."_ That puzzled Sirius.  
"I assume that by 'special circumstances', they mean the fact that I'm a werewolf." Sirius remarked. "But what kind of arrangements have been made? What does that mean?"  
Walburga smiled at Sirius, though there was not a shred of warmth or love there.  
"They have a way to keep you from hurting other students. They…cannot keep you the way we keep you, so other arrangements have been made. You'll see." She replied, smoothing Regulus' hair as she spoke. "It's supposedly more…humane…than the silver we've been using."  
Sirius could feel his aching wrists throb at the idea of being free from silver. Perhaps…they would heal properly while he was at school! The idea was a relief.  
"We've been able to keep you from hurting yourself up until this point." Orion's voice was calm. "But now, the beast will be free to hurt you. Greyback warned us that, without a human to hunt, you will turn upon yourself and it will not be pretty. We almost decided to keep you out of school, or send you elsewhere, but Hogwarts is closer to home, and we can get you home faster if something does…happen."  
Sirius nodded.  
"I-I think I need to go to my room." Sirius mumbled, getting up.  
"We'll send an owl to Dumbledore and let him know you're attending…tomorrow, we can go to Diagon Alley and get your school supplies." Walburga told him. "I realize that this must be overwhelming, since it didn't seem like you'd be able to go to Hogwarts in the first place, what with your…gift…and all."  
Sirius sighed, stopping in the doorway.  
"Yes, I know…and I know that I must keep my secret closely guarded." Sirius glanced back at his parents, looking to see their expressions, which were unreadable to him. "I would not wish to malign the House of Black." Sirius turned and went to his room, to mentally prepare for the fact that he would have to hide his secret from hundreds of people now, and that many would not understand or accept him if they knew the truth. He could also not forget the promise that he'd made to the Dark Lord, to join his service when he was older. He was eleven now…he wondered when the Dark Lord would force him into working for him. Sirius hoped that it would not be for some time…

The next day came all too quickly, and Sirius was taken out by his mother, to go shopping for his school supplies. Sirius dressed in long sleeves and long pants, despite the warm weather, and followed her through Diagon Alley. Upon entering Ollivanders, however, he was in awe. There were so many wands…how could he possibly choose one? Mr. Ollivander offered a light smile upon seeing Sirius' expression.  
"It is the wand who chooses the wizard, Mr. Black, not the other way around." Ollivander set his tape to measuring Sirius while Ollivander began perusing his many shelves in search of a wand that might choose Sirius.  
"But how do you know which one it will be?" Sirius blinked when the measuring tape was suddenly measuring the distance between his eyes.  
"We will simply try them until we find it." Ollivander produced a few boxes, and set them on the counter. He opened them, one by one, and one by one, Sirius had duds. It began to seem rather futile, until Ollivander pulled out a dusty box. He opened it slowly, and presented the wand to Sirius.

It was a rather severe wand, of a dark wood and moderate length. It had engravings upon the wood, and reminded Sirius of the house in which he'd spent the last eleven years in some ways. Sirius picked it up from the box, and felt a rush of warm air around him. Ollivander smiled kindly at him.  
"It looks like that's your wand." Ollivander told him. Fifteen inches, blackthorn with dragon heartstring."  
Walburga went to pay Ollivander while Sirius tucked his new wand into the safety of his pocket. After Ollivander's, Walburga took him to Madame Malkin's, and Sirius found his personal space invaded once more by a tape measure, as Madame Malkin had to get up close and personal to get all of the measurements for Sirius' school robes. Sirius dealt with it, allowing his mind to wander to the ice cream parlor that they had passed earlier. Since it was a special occasion, Sirius had to wonder if his mother might allow him to get some ice cream there…his attention was brought back to reality when his mother lightly tugged on his hand.  
"We have your robes now. Come along, Sirius." Walburga took Sirius down to Flourish and Blott's to get the first year books that were on his shopping list…and Sirius' day went along like this, going after one thing or the other, until everything was taken care of that he needed for school. Sirius even had a proud-looking barn owl that he'd taken to calling Henry. It was a normal name. Considering his family's penchant for unusual names, Sirius had taken to liking what he saw as more "normal" names – Henry, Chuck, John, Diane…and since Henry was the name of a king of England, Sirius felt that Orion would be okay with Sirius having named his owl that.  
"Mum…" Sirius spoke up, glancing at his mother. He'd grown quite a bit in the last three years, and now almost stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her. "May I go by Florean Fortescue's and purchase an ice cream?"  
Walburga hesitated, but decided that an ice cream wasn't the end of the world.  
"I suppose…today was rather warm. Something cool would be nice." Walburga relented, and Sirius mentally cheered when they had ice cream to eat on the trip home to number 12 Grimmauld Place.


	5. Howl

The day that Sirius was scheduled to go to Hogwarts was a very nice one – the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, the usual sounds of London life were present and brought comfort to him. He gathered his things and packed his trunk, remembering to take the silver cuffs that would weaken the beast during the full moon, and keep him from doing much except writhing in pain.  
"Madame Pomfrey has been instructed by your father to install those so that you don't hurt yourself on the full moon…she protested at first, but you're used to it, aren't you?" Walburga smoothed the fabric of Sirius' shirt and gave a smile that was as hollow and shallow as her soul. "They've got a nice set up for you…the students will never suspect a thing."  
Sirius smiled back, a smile that didn't reach his grey eyes, and nodded.  
"I have finished packing my things." Sirius told her. "Can we go now? Remus said that he would meet me on the platform."  
At the mention of the half-blood, Walburga's lips curled into a sneer, and it was obvious how much she disliked the idea of her child hanging around such filth.  
"Why don't you spend time with your own family?" Walburga suggested. "I'm sure they would be happy to introduce you to some of their friends…"  
"I'm friends with Remus." Sirius insisted. "I don't want to be friends with anyone who won't let me be friends with him." Sirius grabbed his trunk, and hefted it downstairs, leaving Walburga standing there looking rather unhappy (understatement) with her eldest son.

They arrived at Platform 9 ¾ exactly fifteen minutes before the train was scheduled to leave. Sirius double-checked to make sure that he had everything, and then headed up to where the platform was, following his mother's instructions to not let Muggles see him and to keep walking – the supposed brick wall led to where Sirius needed to go. Sirius walked on through, followed by his mother, his father, and his little brother.  
"Get into Slytherin…" Orion told Sirius, though it was more of a warning – 'be in Slytherin, don't disappoint us any more than you already have' – and Sirius nodded.  
"Of course." He said smoothly, though he wanted to be somewhere where the people weren't like his parents. "I see my friend now…I should go!" He grinned, though it was mostly at Remus, who saw him and grinned back. Sirius headed over while his luggage was loaded onto the train, and greeted Remus.  
"Hey! How have you been doing?" Remus asked Sirius, looking down at his friend. Only eleven years old, and already Remus was going to be taller than everyone else in his year.  
"I've been alright." Sirius always wore long sleeves, to cover the horrible scars he had from the silver cuffs that his parents forced upon him full moon after full moon. "How are you?"  
"Pretty good." Remus nodded. "A little nervous…do you know what House you'll be in?"  
"Probably Slytherin." Sirius replied, glumly. "All Blacks are Slytherins."  
Remus frowned.  
"Well, maybe you won't be a Slytherin…maybe you could be a Gryffindor, or a Hufflepuff…your family doesn't dictate your House!" Remus told him.  
"Not bloody likely…" Sirius was morose, at least until they got onto the train.

When it came to picking out a compartment, they only found one with room enough for them. In the compartment were two other boys who appeared to be about the same age. One was blond, and obviously not in want of food, and the other was a scrawny, dark-haired boy with hazel eyes and messy hair. He was wearing a Gryffindor scarf already, and it appeared to be new. When the second boy saw Remus and Sirius, he grinned.  
"Come on in and have a seat!" The boy greeted them, as if he owned the compartment. "I'm James Potter, and this is my new friend, Peter Pettigrew!"  
Remus and Sirius entered the compartment and took a seat.  
"I'm Remus Lupin." Remus responded to James' enthusiasm with a polite smile.  
"And who are you?" James asked Sirius, noting the boys' somber expression, dark hair, and pale skin.  
"Sirius Orion Black." Sirius replied, and noted the scarf James wore. "So certain of your House, are you?" A smirk crossed Sirius' face when he said that, lighting up the boy's grey eyes and brining a rather devilish expression to his face.  
"Of course." James said, confidently. "All Potters are Gryffindors." He peered at Sirius. "And you're a Black – all Blacks are Slytherins, aren't they?"  
Sirius snorted. So the reputation of his family preceded him. Lovely.  
"All _proper_Blacks are Slytherins. Knowing my luck, I'll be the one Black who gets thrown into like, Hufflepuff or something." Sirius replied. "My parents will kill me."  
James laughed.  
"Well, you could always be in Gryffindor, like us." James grinned. "You don't need to be a proper Black to be a Gryffindor."  
Sirius grinned back at the thought.  
"That's true…I could be a very improper Black." Sirius mused. "My parents would be furious, though."  
"Who cares? You're at school most of the year anyway…besides, they can't do anything about where you're Sorted anyway. The Sorting hat's decision is final." James told him. "So lighten up! We Gryffindors take care of our own."  
"We should make a pact, then." Sirius told James. "A pact to stick together and watch each other's backs."  
"Yeah!" James agreed.

The unofficial pact for the boys brought them together, and they had no idea yet as to how close their friendship would grow. They were ecstatic when Sirius wound up being a Gryffindor, and Sirius himself didn't stop grinning for at least a week. For him, it felt good to be a Gryffindor…it would be the start of a rebellious streak that would last Sirius Orion Black a lifetime. But for now…he was more interested in digging into the wonderful feast spread out in front of him in the Great Hall than the future, or what the future would bring. He didn't even think about how his first full moon would be spent at Hogwarts…he was living in the moment.


	6. Loupgarou

The Sorting which Sirius had been dreading, came faster than expected. As he stood there with his friends, he felt vaguely sick. He watched the procession of students go before him, and be Sorted into their respective Houses.  
"Black, Sirius!" Professor McGonagall - as he would later learn she was called - summoned him up to be Sorted. Sirius headed up after a rather encouraging - though fierce - shove from James. Sirius took a seat on the stool, and and the Sorting Hat was lowered over his eyes.  
"Another Black, eh?" A voice buzzed in Sirius' head. "I've put plenty of your kin in Slytherin, you know...but you...you're different. Different potential. Not Slytherin material, wouldn't you agree?" The hat cackled. "Well, then...best be...GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius was frozen to the spot, even when the Sorting Hat was lifted from his head. Not...Slytherin material? A small part of Black was crushed - he'd been expected to be in Slytherin, like a good Black, and not in Gryffindor...but a larger part of him was relieved, relieved to know that he was not like his family. Eventually, a small prompting from McGonagall had Sirius walking over to the Gryffindor table and sitting down. Sirius was fairly certain that he was the only Black to ever be Sorted into Gryffindor...he felt ill again.

The next of Sirius' friends to be Sorted was Remus Lupin, who also became a Gryffindor. He ran over and took a seat by him, grinning widely. Sirius smiled back, and even cheered a bit when Pettigrew, Peter became a Gryffindor...followed by Potter, James - another Gryffindor. When the the Sorting was over, the feast began, AND Sirius dug into the food, famished.

After a hearty meal, the four boys soon found themselves in the Common Room of Gryffindor Tower, and that was when James spotted her - Lily Evans - for the first time. (In actuality, he had seen her on Platform 9 and 3/4 first, standing next to ooky-spooky Snivellus Snape.) Being a lad of eleven, he though the best way to get her attention was to pick on her, which took to with a gusto. At this particular moment, he took a toad belonging to one Frank Longbottom, and dropped it into her lap with magic. Lily retaliated with a well-placed Leg-Locker Jinx, which made the other three boys burst out laughing, to watch James hippity-hop around...however, it was Sirius who came to his rescue with the counter-jinx.  
"Good show, James." Sirius snickered. "But I think she got you."  
"Shove off, Sirius." James grumbled, but the other boys just laughed.

Things passed uneventfully for Sirius, and he even almost believed himself to be normal. However, illusions are easily shattered, and the first week before the full moon reminded Sirius that he was far from normal. He began to feel as if he were stricken with fever, and could not cool off. The day before the full moon, he went into the Hospital Wing, and the day of the full moon found him chained in a shack Dumbledore had built - the chains were something that his mother and father insisted upon, reminding Dumbledore of what could happen should Sirius ever get loose...as well as what they would do if such a thing should ever occur. He shivered, naked and cold, until the full moon rose and he knew no more.

The next morning heralded the arrival of Madame Pomfrey, and the application of the essence of dittany on Sirius' ravaged ankles and wrists. Sirius was also now sporting a long row of gashes on his abdomen. Apparently, the wolf had not liked its new surroundings much, and twisted in its confines to take its displeasure out on itself. Madame Pomfrey felt that chaining Sirius up was a bit inhumane, buy she could not go against the Blacks' wishes - Dumbledore had obliged the Black family their one request.

Once Sirius was patched up, Pomfrey took him back to the castle, and insisted that he rest, to allow his injuries to heal. Sirius reluctantly agreed, and Pomfrey made sure he had some breakfast. Sirius ate, and wound up dozing off after his belly was full - he had not realized how tired he was. He slept for most of the day, only waking to eat some supper, before dozing off again.

The next morning, Sirius was deemed well enough to eat breakfast in the Great Hall. His friends were glad to see him, and it was obvious from James and Peter's incessant questioning that Remus had not revealed the truth about his best friend. Remus gave Sirius a relieved smile, and changed the subject as soon as possible. After all, the young Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins next, which was a much more interesting topic, surely. James and Peter's attention was quickly turned, much to Sirius' relief.

Lunch that day was to be punctuated by a letter addressed to Sirius - from Mum and Dad. Apparently, word had finally gotten to them of Sirius being Sorted into Gryffindor.

TO SIRIUS ORION BLACK III  
1ST YEAR, HOGWARTS

FROM: ORION AND WALBURGA BLACK  
12 GRIMMAULD PLACE. LONDON

SIRIUS,

YOUR MOTHER AND I HAVE RECEIVED WORD OF YOUR SORTING INTO GRYFFINDOR, THE HOUSE OF BLOOD TRAITORS AND MUDBLOODS. YOU DISAPPOINT US, SIRIUS - YOU ARE THE HEIR OF THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK! TO BE IN THE COMPANY OF BLOOD TRAITORS IS TANTAMOUNT TO BEING ONE YOURSELF. WE HAVE EXPRESSED OUR DISSATISFACTION TO THE DARK LORD, AND KNOW THAT IT IS HE WHO STILL BELIEVES YOU USEFUL TO OUR CAUSE. DO NOT LET HIM DOWN, SIRIUS BLACK!

SINCERELY,  
ORION AND WALBURGA BLACK

"Your parents sound like a right cheerful lot." James snorted. "Dark Lord, eh? So they're those...whatchamacall'ems - Death Eaters?"  
"No, but they believe he has the right idea." Sirius told James. "They're hoping I'll be inducted when I get out of school. They used to talk about it whenever...they thought I wasn't listening."  
"Well, I think that they're barking up the wrong tree." Remus smiled at Sirius. "You're nothing like them."  
"Do you know Sirius' family, Remus?" Peter was curious.  
"We lived in the same village. Sirius' family came up for the summers there, and Sirius was fond of sneaking over to my family's bookstore." Remus replied. "Sirius...saved me once, and we've been friends ever since."  
"What did you save him from, Sirius?" Peter looked at the grey-eyed boy, who was currently making sure his sleeves were long enough to cover his wrists.  
"I fell into a creek that runs through the village." Remus interjected, before Sirius could speak. "Sirius jumped in and saved me - he practically caught his death of cold doing it too!"  
"Wow!" Peter was, as most kids are, easily impressed by tales of heroism. "That was very brave of him!  
Remus continued the conversation, steering it elsewhere, but noticed that the letter seemed to trouble Sirius.

While James and Peter went to go watch the Quidditch team practice that evening, excitedly talking about Bludgers and Quaffles and broomsticks the whole way, Remus went to go find Sirius...and was rather surprised to see him working hard on his Potions essay in the library.  
"Hey." Remus greeted, taking a seat near Sirius and pulling out his own homework. "What's up?"  
"Bloody Potions essays." Sirius replied, glancing up. "Why didn't you go watch practice with James and Peter?"  
"Bloody Potions essays." Remus answered, and the two boys shared a look before they both cracked up.  
"Quiet!" Madame Pince hissed, and the laughter gave way to quiet giggling.  
"That letter today seems to have bothered you...why?" Remus inquired, dipping his quill in ink and beginning his essay.  
Sirius seemed thoughtful before answering. "I realized just how little there is for me to do...because...you know. The laws will make it impossible for me to find a job after school...my parents have made sure that I am well aware of that." Sirius replied.  
"Well, I'm sure that there is something out there for you." Remus reassured his friend. "You'll just have to wait and see where the future takes you."  
"But I hate waiting..." Sirius plopped his head onto the table in a dramatic gesture...and onto his essay, smudging the ink. He spent the next hour rewriting the essay, and chatting with Remus.

On October 24, 1971, Sirius headed to the Great Hall, barely aware of his own birthday. His parents hadn't celebrated it since he had become cursed. He didn't think anyone was aware of it...until James and Peter jumped at him right before he went into the Great Hall. Remus was doing his best to appear innocent.  
"Happy birthday, Sirius!" They laughed, pushing a couple of small, wrapped items into his hands. Sirius opened them to find a Gryffindor scarf and a small bag of cookies. Remus handed Sirius a book.  
"I had my parents send it over." Remus told him. "I thought you might like it..."  
Sirius beamed at his friends.  
"Thanks, guys...thank you so much!" Sirius could not recall a happier birthday.

Time passed, as it often does, and the holidays soared by. Sirius would miss his new friends - James and Peter - as well as Remus. Remus was the best friend that Sirius had. Sirius did have some happy news. For the summer break, his family would be returning to their summer home in Remus' village...and James promised to visit. Seeing as how the Potters were a pureblood family, Sirius couldn't see his parents objecting too much.


	7. Big Bad Wolf

On July 16, Sirius found himself once more in the quaint village...the same place he'd been attacked, several years ago. He sat on the front porch, watching the day go by. His parents and younger brother had gone to the Malfoys for the day, and Sirius didn't have to work to convince them to leave him at home. He was sitting there, doing his best to behave (hah) when he heard the gate open. He looked over and saw Remus.  
"Remus!" Sirius was on his feet and out to Remus before Remus could blink.  
"Hey Sirius!" The gangly twelve-year-old grinned at his friend. "Mum was wondering if you might want to come to lunch, so I thought I'd walk over and ask."  
Sirius' stomach answered for him, growling loudly.  
"Lunch sounds wonderful! My parents have gone for the day, so they won't be home until later." Sirius grinned back.

Sirius had a wonderful lunch with the Lupins, who treated him like a second son. After lunch, he went with Remus for a dip in the creek, both boys stripping down to underwear and flinging themselves into the water with a loud whoop. Remus noticed the scars on Sirius' wrists and abdomen, and felt a pang of guilt gnawing in his stomach. That would have been him if Sirius had not intervened…but at the same time, Remus was glad Sirius felt comfortable showing Remus his scars. After all, they were part of a dark secret to which very few people were privy. Remus only wished that Sirius didn't have to go through all of that alone.

The afternoon passed with an easy air, and Sirius forgot the time. He was very rudely awakened when one of the House Elves came to fetch him at Walburga's (rather wrathful) request. Sirius dressed hurriedly, and was taken away before he could even tell Remus goodbye. He was tossed onto the couch, before a glaring Walburga.  
"We told you not to leave the house…with you being WHAT you are, it's dangerous." Walburga sniffed. "You could have been hurt!"  
"Your concern is less for me than it is for your reputation." Sirius remarked, dryly. "Don't worry, Mother, no one saw me…or my scars."  
"You should be ashamed of those scars! People woll judge you for them…think you're some kind of freak!" Walburga snapped.  
"Your chains caused my scars!" Sirius growled, startling Walburga a bit – a reaction that pleased him. "You should be ashamed of what you've done!"  
"I'm done with this discussion."Walburga turned her back to Sirius. "Go to your room!" She waited for Sirius to be in his room. Once he was, she went to Orion, who was furious. He went after Sirius, determined to "break the beast within" his son, and "mold him into someone the Dark Lord would employ" – that such employment would "restore the pride of the House of Black".

Sirius did not leave the house for the rest of the summer, and even when James came to visit, he was turned away at the door, with Walburga telling him that Sirius had fallen ill…a story that James did not believe, but had no evidence to contest it.

When the term began in September, Sirius was not on the train. In fact, James, Remus, and Peter didn't see Sirius until after the start of term feast, in the dorms.  
"Sirius!" Remus came over to his best friend, practically shoving the others out of the way. "Sirius, I'm sorry… I didn't realize that you would get into so much trouble..." He reached out to touch Sirius, but Sirius flinched away.  
"I should not have disobeyed my mother and father." Sirius murmured. "I am a disgrace to the House of Black."  
James came around to Sirius' back, and checked his friend for bruises...finding none. But he knew that his friend would never talk like that...He noticed that Sirius was shaking, and didn't know what to do. It wasn't cold or anything. Remus, however, saw the tears that Sirius tried to hide, and pulled his friend into a gentle hug.  
"They can't hurt you while you're here." Remus told him. "We won't let them."  
Sirius said nothing, but was grateful for his friends.

The next morning, Sirius appeared to bounce back to normal...though appearances can be deceiving. Remus, James, and Peter took it at face value, and were glad to see Sirius was better. They began to plot their next misadventure at Hogwarts, with Sirius every-wary of the fast-approaching full moon.

Their next misadventure (but the first one of their second year) turned out to be their first expedition to the kitchens, under James' Invisibility Cloak. It made it easy for the four Marauders - as Remus called them - to sneak about unnoticed. They loaded up on food, and headed back to the dorms to pig out.

When the next full moon rose in the sky, James realized that Sirius was gone.  
"Hey Remus...where's Sirius?" James inquired.  
"Oh, he was feeling ill, so he went to the Hospital Wing." Remus replied. "He'll be better within the next couple of days."  
"Oh, well maybe we should go see him tomorrow morning." James grinned.  
"He's probably very contagious." Remus told James, but James laughed.  
"You worry too much, Remus."

The next day, during lunch, Remus couldn't stop James and Peter from running up to the Hospital Wing, or from giving Pomfrey the slip and going to Sirius' bed.  
"Blimey." James blinked. "He looks like he got into a fight...Remus, are you sure he's sick?"  
"Not so loud..." Sirius groaned, opening his eyes.  
"Goooood morning, Sirius." James grinned, and Sirius scowled.  
"It's lunchtime, James. Morning is over." Sirius pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing. The wolf was very unhappy to be locked up back at school, and it let Sirius know it, too. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He sounded less than pleased to see them there...to see him like this. James ignored that tone.  
"Remus said you were sick...but you look like you were in a fight or something." James replied. "Are you...alright?"  
"Oh, peachy." Sirius groused.  
"You know you can tell us anything, Sirius...we're your friends!" Peter smiled.  
"Not this...I can't tell anyone." Sirius shook his head. "No one can know."  
"What could be so bad that you can't-?" James paused, and he breathed. "Werewolf...Merlin, you're a werewolf!" James looked at Sirius. "Come to think of it, you've been gone or off somewhere every full moon...why didn't I notice it before?"  
"I wasn't as close to you last year. We were friends, ut you weren't as concerned for me. But by having me delivered personally to the school, my parents have caused you to be on...alert, where I'm concerned." Sirius murmured.  
"Are you really...y'know?" Peter ventured.  
"Yes, I am!" Sirius growled, causing Peter to recoil and move backwards.  
"No need to scare them, Sirius." Remus admonished lightly. "I did try to keep them away, but...you know those two."  
"It's okay, Remus." Sirius sighed, slouching a bit. "I should have known it would be impossible to keep it from them."  
"Wait, so Remus knew?" Peter blinked, moving closer again.  
"Yes." Sirius nodded, and glanced at Remus. It was a tale Sirius did not feel like telling.  
"The werewolf that bit Sirius was coming after me." Remus told them, quietly. "Sirius' scent distracted it, and my parents were able to get me to safety in time before going to help Sirius." A wry smile twitched at his lips. "Even now, my parents won't let me stay out after dark on a full moon."  
"Good." Sirius spoke up suddenly. "You don't need to be out on a full moon. It's dangerous. I shouldn't have been out...but I was..." Sirius' voice dropped to a murmur, and Remus gently rubbed his friend's shoulder before quietly ushering a stunned James and Peter from the Hospital Wing.


	8. Bad Moon Rising

After the visit to see Sirius in the Hospital Wing, the boys swung by the dorms to get the books that they would need for their next classes. In the dor, safe from prying ears, Peter brought up what they had just learned.  
"I can't believe that Sirius is a werewolf." Peter remarked. "And that he never told his! They're supposedly really dangerous in human form too, you know!"  
"While I do not entertain the idea of being bitten by Sirius in his human form - for hygienic reasons, really - he has never presented himself as a danger to you or anyone." Remus looked at Peter. "He is my friend, and while I cannot force you to remain silent, I can suggest that it would be unwise to tell anyone of what you have learned." Remus sighed. "Besides, everyone will know what he is soon enough - when Sirius comes of age, he'll be forced to put his name on the Werewolf Registry, where everyone can find him and know what he is."  
"We won't tell." James finally spoke up. "Not sure of what to make of all of this, but we won't tell." He gave a sharp look to Peter, who nodded in agreement.  
"Good. I'm sure that Sirius appreciates your silence." Remus finished grabbing his books, and left.

When Sirius was deemed well enough to join the others the next day for breakfast, he noticed the awkward silence. When Sirius tried to make conversation about it, Remus shushed him a bit, telling him that they could discuss it later, but now was not a good time. Sirius tried to speak to James, but with the same results. So Sirius wolfed down breakfast and darted off to class, leaving his friends behind. When they finally caught up with him in Charms, Sirius had managed to snag Lily Evans as a partner for the Charm that they were working on that day, rather than pairing up with Remus, as was Sirius' norm. Sirius did not acknowledge them for the duration of classes that day.

In fact, it wasn't until that night that the Marauders finally cornered Sirius in the dorm.  
"What the hell, mate?" James blew up in Sirius' face. "You've been avoiding us all day!"  
"I figured that you wouldn't want to be friends with a monster." Sirius growled, making Peter jump again. "Was I wrong, James?"  
"You daft baboon! Yes, we may have had some apprehensions at first, but we soon realized that we couldn't let you go on being alone...especially when...you know. The full moon's out. Remus says that a transformed werewolf is only a danger to humans - and that he's heard of a spell to make us animals."  
"The Animagus spell is very dangerous and takes years to master, so naturally James wanted to start learning it right away." Remus remarked.  
"And so did I!" Peter grinned. "You're our friend, Sirius - werewolf or not."  
"I'm so lucky...to have friends like you." A grin crossed Sirius' face. This would be amazing! He'd never even thought of having company when the wolf was out.

The art of becoming an Animagus - that is, a wizard who can take the form of an animal - is a long and trying process, even for someone with a natural talent for Transfiguration, like James. By the end of second year, James had managed to produce a tail, Remus had changed his ears, and Peter had sprouted whiskers. The animal that the wizard transformed into was said to be a reflection of one's soul, and the boys had learned their animals through a trance meditation that accompanied the spell. Through that, James had learned he was a stag, Remus was a rough collie, and Peter was a rat. They tried not to dwell on Peter's animal too much, as rats were known as opportunistic survivors and had generally unpleasant thoughts associated with them.

All three Marauders promised to study hard over the summer, and to practice more when they got back to school after summer break. Sirius was very proud of his friends, and knew that their unfailing loyalty and courage was what made them Gryffindors.

Over the summer break, Sirius did not receive any visitors from school, though his parents allowed him to keep up correspondence with his Gryffindor friends. On the night of July 15, 1973, Sirius' parents did not lock him up as they usually did. The thirteen-year-old werewolf was turned over to Fenrir Greyback for the night, in the hopes that the elder werewolf would take the cub under his wing, and teach him the ways that would allow for Sirius to be employed by the Dark Lord for his own uses once Sirius was out of school. Sirius had no choice - once he was thrust outside as the moon rose, he knew no more.

Fenrir had a specific target in mind for his little cub - a certain Lupin who had gotten away in the years previous. The older werewolf allowed the younger one to approach the house, and to let out a howl. Remus, in his room on the second floor, heard the howl and paled. He allowed himself to look out of the window, and spotted the werewolves on the ground below, circling. One of them was rather small, and Remus felt that he knew that one.  
"...Sirius?" Remus blinked, and went to go wake his parents. However, John and Dianne were already awake, and had locked Remus in his room at the sound of the wolf's call. They could not risk it. Remus leaned against the door and heard the breaking of glass in the foyer below. He heard angered shouts, and spells being cast by John. Dianne preferred her own, Muggle method - specially made bullets packed with aconite, that would shatter inside of the creature and release the toxin.

It was not until some time later that John came and unlocked the door, letting Remus out. Remus immediately went to investigate, and saw the younger werewolf lying in their living room, in a small pool of its own blood.  
"Sirius...!" Remus ran to him, ignoring the warnings of his parents. "What happened to him?" Remus demanded of John and Dianne, who both looked exhausted from their efforts.  
"The older werewolf broke into the house." John replied, quietly. "The younger one slipped in through the back - your mother had left a window open earlier - and while we were fighting the elder, the younger attacked it. I have never seen two werewolves fight like that."  
"He probably wanted us all to himself." Dianne snorted. "Werewolves are mindless."  
"Class five beasts - known wizard killers, and impossible to train or domesticate." Remus recited. "I know, I've done the reading." Remus could see the rise and fall of wolf!Sirius' chest, and knew he was alive, but badly injured. Remus reached out, and gently stroked Sirius' fur.  
"When he changes back in the morning, I'll see about getting him to St. Mungo's." John told Remus. "He took a beating from the older wolf. We just have to keep him Stunned until he changes back."  
"I hope that he will be okay..." Remus murmured.  
"I think the worst that he will have to do is suffer Walburga Black's wrath for failing to kill us." Dianne remarked. "The poor boy suffers enough with his condition..." She went over to Remus. "Come on, get cleaned up and I'll make up a spot for you to sleep on the couch, since I know you won't go back to bed."

Remus woke up the next morning, on the couch, and looked over to see a human Sirius being cleaned up by John - what couldn't magic do? John looked over at Remus.  
"Bring down some of your clothes, and we'll have him get dressed before we take him to St. Mungo's." John instructed.  
"Alright." Remus ran upstairs and grabbed some jeans and other articles of clothing, before coming back down. John took the clothes, and helped Sirius to get dressed. Sirius seemed afraid of going to St. Mungo's - as very few people knew that Sirius Black, heir to the House of Black, was a werewolf - but John did his best to calm him down, and within the hour, the trio were on the road (so to speak), Flooing to St. Mungo's.


	9. Daemonium Lupum

I don't usually clutter up my chapters with author's notes, but I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this story, everyone who takes time to leave a review, everyone who follows the story, and everyone who's put it in their favorites. I write mostly for myself, and what I like, but it's good to see other people enjoying it as well. :) When I finish this fanfic (which won't be for a while yet!), I hope to start on the novel that's been sitting in my head since I was in junior high. I've already started to work on the little details in a notebook, and it's going to be quite an adventure for me! But enough about me - the boys are waiting just ahead. Happy reading!

* * *

When they arrived at St. Mungo's, a kindly witch looked up at them. She passed a clipboard to John.  
"If you could just fill that out-" She started, but the weak Sirius cut her off.  
"I have no patience for incompetence." Sirius growled. "Can you not recognize the heir of the House of Black when you see him? I am Sirius Black...and I require treatment for my injuries." Even at thirteen, Sirius had developed quite the presence. The admitting witch nodded, and retracted the clipboard.  
"I'm sorry, sir, I did not realize that you were Sirius Black." She told him.  
"Well..." Sirius peered at her nametag. "Galinda...you can be sure that my father will hear of this." Sirius swayed on his feet, and Remus rushed to support him.  
"I'm sorry, miss." Remus told Galinda. "He's usually much nicer, but he had a difficult time last night..."  
"Is he a werewolf?" Galinda inquired, looking at some of the visible injuries.  
"Yes." Remus replied.  
"Then he needs to go to the Dai Llewellyn Ward." Galinda handed John a packet. "Give this to the Healer, and they'll be able to help him."  
"Thank you." Remus helped John to get Sirius to the ward, and once there, the Healer looked over the file. It was but not a few minutes later that Sirius had been whisked away from them to be admitted to a room and taken care of immediately.  
"When will we be able to see him?" John asked one of the Healer aides.  
"Family only for right now." The aide replied. "They family is being notified as we speak, and they will decide when the patient is allowed to see other visitors." Seeing Remus' upset look, the aide gave a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, but those are the standing orders regarding Sirius Black. It's a precaution, to keep his condition from spreading to others. I would recommend going home, and waiting."  
"Will you...let him know we were here?" Remus asked the aide, who nodded. John sighed, and took Remus home...but hoped for the best.

Walburga Black entered the room in which her son lay, looking rather pathetic.  
"We send you on one mission with Greyback, and he informed us that you'd failed." Walburga smiled icily. "Then we receive notice from St. Mungo's that you had been admitted due to the injuries you'd sustained fighting Greyback! You're a foolish, foolish boy, Sirius." Walburga reached out, running a cold hand along her son's forehead. He was sleeping peacefully at the moment, under the power of the draught given to him by the attending Healer. "You're lucky to be alive." She took a seat by the chair, and watched her eldest son sleep, bandaged and drugged. "I do not allow myself to feel such petty emotions." Her voice was a whisper, dropping low. "But...if I had lost you..." The silence ate the remaining words, and Walburga sat there, watching over Sirius as he slept...something she had not done since he was very small.

The next time Remus heard from Sirius, it was closer to the beginning of term, and the handwriting was very shaky. Remus knew that there had been another full moon since the time Sirius had been admitted to St. Mungo's.  
"Hey Remus," the letter had a cheerful note to it, "I heard from one of the aides that you and your father brought me to the hospital...to be honest, I don't remember much from that full moon or the days after it, but apparently I was in pretty bad shape. I'll be coming back to school on the train this time, my parents reckon that they weren't doing me any favors sending me another way, and that the train ride will be good for me. I still feel awful, but I'm hoping Pomfrey can fix me up a bit once we're at school. See you then! Your friend, Sirius"  
The letter made Remus smile, and he looked forward to seeing Sirius again.

Before term was set to begin, Remus went with his parents to meet the train at King's Cross Station. He'd barely gotten onto the proper platform when he felt someone hug onto him. He glanced down and saw Sirius grinning up at him. Walburga and Orion Black were standing back a bit, and trying to act as if their son had not just hugged another boy. Walburga had spoken to Orion when she'd gotten home from visiting Sirius in the hospital, and they honestly were not certain of what would eventually become of Sirius. They knew that werewolves were not particularly noted for their longevity, and there were bound to be complications. She had convinced him to quit condoning the use of the silver chains on the full moon, to let Sirius' fate play out as it should. Sirius would be able to hurt himself, but perhaps it was better than their chains binding him down and doing more damage than they'd realized - the scars from the shackles being around his wrists and ankles would probably never fade. Of course, getting them to stay put on a werewolf had been quite a trick - the cuffs were magicked to size according to whatever they were holding - even if it was something as small as a young werewolf's paws.

Of course, Sirius himself was quite unaware of his parents' decision, though he had noticed that the shackles had been left at home. He chatted with Remus happily on the platform, and they walked together as they searched for James - a job that Sirius allowed Remus to do, as Remus was the taller of the two boys - in fact, Remus was already the tallest Marauder, and it didn't seem like it was ever going to change. Sirius was a head shorter than Remus, and was fairly certain that he wouldn't grow much taller. His mother was only a few inches taller than him yet, and so far, Sirius had taken after her strongly - he had her hair color and type, and her fair bone structure. He did have his father's eyes, however, and his father was proud of that...not that Sirius ever knew much of this, either. Sirius felt as if he'd always been viewed like a failure, because of what had happened to him...and none of the words his parents or anyone spoke had ever been able to make him think differently.

Sirius and Remus soon met up with James and Peter, and the boys chattered amongst themselves excitedly. They boarded the train, and found a compartment easily, where they could talk amongst themselves in private.  
"So...there's a full moon in about two weeks..." Sirius told the other boys. "And my parents didn't send along the silver chains. I've never been without those...! Without the chains, the wolf can...can hurt me..."  
"But don't the chains hurt more?" James asked. "I mean, werewolves are allergic to silver, aren't they? That has to hurt..."  
"It does." Sirius replied. "It hurts very badly..." He rolled up his sleeves, to show the scars. "But there could more than silver to the chains, to help bind the wolf in place during the full moon. Without that...I'll have more of these..." He showed James and Peter some of the scars from where he'd been attacked by Greyback. "...only they'll be self-inflicted..."  
"Well...we'll try and learn this Animagus spell as fast as we can." James assured Sirius. "And then the wolf will be too busy playing with some new friends to think of hurting you."  
Sirius offered a tight smile.  
"And I will hope that the wolf does not kill me before then." Sirius told them. "There's a reason my parents chained me up every full moon - transformed wolves are incredibly dangerous. One bite can infect a human, and there is no cure for lycanthropy."  
"Yes, but with the Animagus spell, the wizards become animals, and animals have no risk of being infected by lycanthropy." Remus informed Sirius. "So we will be in no danger."  
"That's good to know." Sirius nodded. "I guess...I just need to wait and see what happens, huh?"  
"Sorry, mate, but that's true. We know James is a stag, so he'll be big enough to help keep the wolf in line." Peter replied. "And Remus will be a fellow canine, so I bet the wolf will like that! Personally, I'm a rat...so I'm just going to try and stay out of the way." He grinned, and Sirius laughed.  
"You do that - I wouldn't want to accidentally step on you or something." Sirius told him, grinning back.

Once the four boys had arrived at Hogwarts, they headed to the Great Hall for the feast. Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, darted past them with his gaggle of Slytherins and settled at their table, with Regulus smirking at Sirius. Sirius acknowledged his brother with a wave, and settled down with the Marauders at their own table. Sirius and Regulus didn't exactly get along in the eyes of their parents, and Regulus did have a habit of making fun of the fact that Sirius was a werewolf among family who knew the secret...but wasn't that how most brothers acted towards each other? In their own way, Sirius and Regulus had a fraternal relationship where they could poke and tease each other without ever losing the knowledge that someone has their back.

Neither Peter, Remus, nor James had any siblings, so they didn't really know what it was like. When they saw Sirius wave at Regulus, they gave Sirius a puzzled look.  
"He's in Slytherin...and I've never seen you two get along..." James noted, and Sirius smirked.  
"So what if he's in Slytherin and I'm not? I may not be Mum and Dad's perfect son since...you know...but I still uphold more of the Black family honor than he does." Sirius told them, as a jest. "We're brothers..."  
"On two different paths." Remus raised an eyebrow.  
"I'm sure he'll come around." Sirius shrugged. "He's from the same stock as I, and I'm not a wannabe Death Eater."  
Remus muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'don't hold your breath'.


End file.
